


heartsore

by timeinthetardis



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Heart-Snatching, Mild Angst, Mild Fluff, Mind Control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-21 14:38:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1553897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timeinthetardis/pseuds/timeinthetardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I know you're in there, lass. Come back to me."</p>
            </blockquote>





	heartsore

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this really lovely edit](http://seastarved.tumblr.com/post/80770807958/emmas-heart-gets-taken-by-the-wicked-witch-and) that was floating around Tumblr.
> 
> I know there's a bit of ~hand waving~ in this, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. If you'd like to stay updated on my writing (or join the fun of constant CS blogging), please feel free to check out my [tumblr](http://in-each-place-and-forever.tumblr.com/) and/or my [writing tumblr](http://distinct-elements-of-speech.tumblr.com/).

Emma has been missing for four days.

Killian has thus spent four horrible days combing the town with the Charmings (who are distinctly lacking in both charm and tact right now, friendships be damned), and four truly terrible nights sitting alone on the dock convincing himself not to turn to the rum just in case she turns up needing his help. Henry is beside himself, and even Regina has become increasingly snappish as search party after search party returns empty-handed. Killian isn't sure when he last slept, but he has counted every minute without Emma Swan, and it feels like losing her to the curse all over again.

It's late- well, early- and everyone else has gone to bed (or at least claimed to). Killian has borrowed one of the flameless torches from Henry's stash in his room, and he's crashing through the trees near the beach. Robin swore up and down that his men searched every inch of the woods, but Killian can't sit and wait while Emma could be in danger. 

Some bushes a little ways down the beach are rustling, and he is about to shout to see if it's just an animal or Ruby on another solo expedition when a person bursts into view. He stops short, directing his beam of light at the silhouette and feeling his heart leap as it illuminated a familiar head of golden hair. 

“Swan?” he calls, breaking into a run to close the distance between them. Her head snaps around towards him and _yes_ , yes, it's her and she's here and she's _safe_. He can feel a laugh bubbling up in his chest, and allows it to spill out into the night air because she's in front of him and _alive_ and that is something about which he can be ridiculously, childishly happy. 

His elation is short-lived, as she backs away from him with her hands held defensively in front of her. 

“You can't be here, you have to go,” she says, voice rough with disuse. He stops moving, letting her put space back between them, but keeps her well within his tiny beam of light. He isn't going to let her disappear again, even if the sky is slowly brightening on the horizon 

“You're out of your mind if you think I'm going back without you, lass,” he says, studying her face. He's seen her afraid before, certainly, but this- this is different. “Everyone has been looking for you- I'm not leaving you out here.”

She shakes her head frantically, eyes wide. “Tell everyone to stop looking. Tell them to stay at the loft. Tell them whatever you want, just don't try to find me again.”

“Scaring me a bit, Swan.” He tries for lightness, taking a step forward, but the sheer panic on her face makes him stop again.

“Keep Henry safe. Don't let him look for me. Promise me,” she says, burying her hands in her hair and squeezing her eyes shut. Her breath comes out in frantic little gasps, voice catching as she tries again. “Killian, please.”

He's well and truly frightened, now. “Emma-”

“If she finds out you're here, she'll make me-” Emma stops, her eyes popping open as she freezes in place. Her body relaxes instantly, and she looks over at him with- is that a _flirtatious_ smile?

“Make you what? Emma?” he calls uncertainly, taking a step back. 

She shakes her hair out and walks over to him, closing the distance in a few long strides. He drops his light, the abrupt change making him want to have full use of his one hand. 

“Do you trust me?” she asks him, pressing herself against him before he can respond. The heat of her body against his is nearly overwhelming, and the warm-honey scent of her hair is absolutely intoxicating. He can feel her breath against his cheek as she rolls up on her toes, lips pressed against his ear.

“Foolish of you,” she whispers, and his heart barely has time to drop to his feet (this is _wrong_ , she was afraid, she would never-) before she is slamming him into the ground with a satisfied smirk. “It's all too cliché for words, the princess and the pirate.”

He gasps for breath as he stares up at her. “Swan, what are you-”

“Oh, come on, Hook,” she says, and he can't restrain a wince at the use of his old moniker, “surely you can figure it out faster than that. I expected better- you've been around for so long, after all.”

Emma does not move as he pulls himself to his feet, her green eyes flat and blank. She stays still as he steps into her space, staring resolutely at a point somewhere beyond him, and he feels something twist in his chest.

“Zelena,” he hisses, and the witch herself appears behind Emma in a whirl of green smoke.

“Missed me, love?” she says mockingly, the Dark One's dagger glittering dangerously in her left hand. “Or just missing your _darling_ savior?” 

Time seems to slow as she reaches into her pocket with her free hand to reveal a heart (Emma's heart, oh gods, anyone but her, _anyone_ ), and Killian is suddenly back on the deck of his ship, watching helplessly as Milah's heart shimmers in the Dark One's grasp. His stomach clenches hard as he struggles not to retch, balling his hand into a fist and grounding himself in the sharp cut of his fingernails against his palm.

“I thought it would be far more difficult to get this, after hearing about all that trouble with Cora, but your little princess is just so easy to manipulate,” Zelena continues. “All it took was a little time pretending to be you and a fake spellbook. Told her that hiding her heart before a witch fight would be the best move, and voila!” She cackles, tipping her head back with glee. “The only difficulty has been in getting her to obey, but now I have her well in hand.”

Her fingers tighten around the heart (it's so bright, he's never seen one so full of light and he's seen more than his share of magical hearts- _oh, Emma_ ), and Emma doubles over in pain.

He steps forward before he knows he's moving. “Don't hurt her.”

“Oh, Captain, you wound me. I thought we could come to a little agreement,” she says, slowly circling him. 

“Never,” Killian says, keeping his eyes fixed on Emma. 

“Never is quite a long time,” the witch says musingly. “I could give you anything you desired, anything at all. I know how you love Emma Swan, and wouldn't it be nice for her to feel the same way?”

“Stop.”

Zelena's lips curl in a horrible smile, and Emma comes forward to press her body against Killian's again in one smooth movement.

“I want you, Captain. I need you. I love you,” Emma says, wrapping her arms around his midsection as she looks up at him. 

He closes his eyes, breathing hard through his nose as she overwhelms his senses, and all he can feel is the puff of her breath against his lips as she comes closer and-

“Enough!” he snarls, eyes snapping open as he stumbles away from her and tries to ignore Zelena's delighted bark of laughter.

“Spoilsport, you are,” she says, and snaps her fingers. Emma moves to stand by Zelena's side, straight and still like a soldier on parade. “Now, as fun as this is, I simply can't have you here any longer.”

“Let her go,” he grits out, his gaze never leaving Emma's blank face.

“I'm sure I will, in time. I so want to see her face when she realizes that she's failed everyone, and I've won at last. But that's jumping ahead a bit, isn't it?” 

“I will never let you do this,” he says, finally looking over at Zelena. “And neither will she.”

“I've got a handful of heart that refutes both of those statements, Captain. She's all mine now. Emma, dear?” she says sweetly, tapping her on the shoulder. “Kill him.”

Emma starts toward him immediately, closing the distance between them in several determined strides and balling her hands into fists. He dodges a hard punch, spinning away while attempting to keep Zelena in view.

“Emma, don't do this,” he says, ducking out of the way of another blow. She manages to land a kick on his ribcage, forcing him off-balance as she advances. He holds up his hand placatingly, taking a step back and finding himself pressed against the wide trunk of an enormous old tree. “Shite.”

She plunges her arm into his chest, fingers closing around his heart with an iron grip, and of course it would happen this way, of course he would die the way he should have so long ago ( _with_ Milah, _instead_ of Milah- he's like bad luck, always bringing this fate on the women he loves).

“I know you're in there, lass,” he manages, fighting to keep his eyes on hers. “Come back to me.”

“Finish him!” Zelena shrieks from behind her, but Emma stops, studying Killian's face with an intensity that reminds him of their kiss in Neverland. 

“Come back to me,” he says again, and this time he sees something flicker in her bright green eyes. Breathing hard, she slowly releases her hold on his heart, pulling her hand out of his chest.

“I said _kill him_ ,” Zelena hisses, and Emma's face contorts in pain as she doubles over, the top of her head brushing Killian's chest. He grasps her shoulders with his hand and hook, gently sliding them down to her elbows.

“Concentrate, Swan. Use that magic of yours, you can do it,” he says, ducking his head down to press his forehead against hers.

“I can't,” she whispers, eyes shut tight as she shudders with another wave of pain. “You have to run, you have to get to Henry before-”

“I'm not leaving without you, lass, not again.”

She opens her eyes, scanning his face and lacing her arms through his as she steadies herself. Her mouth settles in a grim line and she nods, her nails cutting into his skin as her entire body strains with the effort of controlling her magic. 

For several long moments, nothing happens. And then Zelena is there, dagger at Killian's throat, pulling him away from Emma with ease. 

“Try again, little savior. I own you,” Zelena snarls, pressing the dagger in a bit harder and drawing beads of blood to the surface. “You will do as I say. And I _say_ , kill him.”

Emma's eyes glaze over again, but she does not move. Killian feels Zelena's impatient huffs of breath on his skin, sees her hand closing over Emma's heart again, and moves. Slamming his elbow into her stomach, he ducks away from the dagger and dives for the heart, ignoring Zelena's cry of rage as she loses her hold on her prize. 

He misses.

Emma doesn't.

A flash of silvery-white light fills the air, shimmering on the surface of the water and rustling the leaves of the trees around them in a gust of magic. He sees Emma catch her heart in her hand, shoving it back into her chest with one smooth movement. Face creased in concentration, she sends out another blast of magic, pushing Zelena away from Killian and knocking the witch over.

He's pretty sure that the look on Zelena's face would be priceless, if he didn't feel like gutting the wicked bitch with his hook instead of laughing at her loss.

“You can't keep everyone safe forever, Emma Swan!” Zelena shrieks, vanishing in a puff of green smoke.

Emma sinks down to her knees, arms wrapped tightly around her midsection as she attempts to catch her breath. Killian crawls over to her from his place on the ground, wrinkling his nose as the smokey scent of dueling magic settles around them.

“There you are, Swan, didn't need me at all,” he says, in a weak attempt at levity. "I'm nothing more than a pretty face now, I suppose." She looks up at him, hesitating for a long moment before she shuffles forward and rests her head in the curve of his neck. Trying not to let his surprise show, he lets his arms come up around her, stroking her back. 

“You trusted me,” she says softly, “not to kill you. Even when there was a pretty solid chance of that happening.”

“You're a fighter, lass. I knew you could find your way back to me.”

“Savior powers strike again?” she says, half-laughing. He shakes his head, 

“No, although I will admit that your magic helped out quite a bit.” Killian leans back, forcing her to meet his gaze. “But it wasn't just the savior bits I believed in, Swan. It was all of you.”

She looks at him thoughtfully, head tipping to the side as she considers the man in front of her. “I feel like you always end up looking for me.”

“There's nowhere you can go that I can't find you, Emma, not even your own head,” he says. He taps his hook gently against his own temple, summoning up a small smile. “Pirate, remember?”

She smiles, the cocky grin that features so prominently in his dreams and daily plans (if all he does is make Emma Swan smile at him, he's had a successful day) spreading across her face.

“Take us home, then, Captain.”

“As you wish,” he says gallantly, getting to his feet and extending his hand to her with a flourish. She accepts, letting him pull her up and leaning heavily against his shoulder. Together, they make their way back towards the town.


End file.
